It depends on the season. For examples, I usually hang out here almost exclusively in winter. I peek into others once in a while. Then in spring I spend a lot more time in the bulbs & perennials, etc. Winter Sowing Seed Exchange/WS exchange Rate & Review Bulbs Perennials Geraniums Annuals Dahlias Lily Clematis Frugal Gardening Tips & Techniques Midwest Gardening Great Lakes Gardening Newbies Shrub &Trees Cutflowers Seed Savings Growing from seeds Squarefoot Gardening Soil, compost, mulch

Sammy, This is a significant problem for us as well, as we have steep ground and deep clay: our various slides revealed five feet of clay at least, and no rock yet at the bottom. I don't have any tried and true solutions, but can at least share what we're trying. Maybe some of it will be useful. I've gotten really cautious about disturbing the soil by plowing or earth moving: if it's more than can be shifted by a shovel or a hoe, we leave it alone. All our slides have been in areas in which the soil had been disturbed. And more and more I'm leaving herbaceous plants--weeds and grass--until I have something to put in their place, since, as Elemire pointed out, the ground benefits by the holding power of their roots, as well as by the organic matter they add. (However I totally agree that the poison ivy has to go.) We do a lot of minor terracing (to a height of about a foot in the garden) with boards and rebar, which are very plain indeed but work to define beds and paths, and make the former field look much more like a garden by giving it flat areas. I would use rocks for terracing if we had any. And we have deep-rooted trees scattered through the garden, hoping that they'll be well enough established in a few years to prevent slides, as so far seems to be the case. In the case of ground that requires restoration, particularly in the case of the slide areas that have lost their topsoil, I leave all herbaceous growth (that means weeds) of course, and intend to plant native colonizing shrubs. We've planted seedling trees with minimal success, so I think we need to back up to colonizing plants. The heavy mulch we keep on the ground slows down runoff and allows absorption of rain; at least I think it does. All of these strategies are thoughtful, but we have no training in soil conservation or related topics. I'm returning to Italy next week and will be able to see what my garden looks like after a month and a half here in Florida. My husband tells me that we got two inches of rain last week, which is excellent for August, and makes me hope that we might enjoy a decent fall flowering this year, the first in some years. Florida has been really hot and humid this year, so much so that I've hardly gone outside except to go swimming; and if I had a garden here I can guarantee you I wouldn't have been out working in it. This week the heat has finally eased up a little. In a climate where summers are hot and dry by this time gardens often look really ratty, young gardens especially. Yours looks like you're off to a good start: the roses look robust and healthy. I know that when I pass the summer in Italy I dedicate my garden time to pulling bindweed and Bermuda grass and it's no fun at all, but fall is on the way. I think that when our trees and shrubs get some size on them the whole garden is going to look a lot better, and will be more comfortable with the shade. These things just take time, as I keep telling myself. ...

What am I missing here? ===>>> ohhh avacado.. you are cracking me up .... [get it.. haas ...] do i have to keep track of your addiction.. before the divorce .. crimminey ... you said.. and correct me if i am wrong ... i only have room for dwarf or mini ... its neither. you only have room for prime specimens .. its not ... its an oddity .. and cool .. but i have 5 acres of which 3 are empty ... its super for me ... what are you missing.. perhaps only your own thoughts/words on how to develop your garden .. lol as to FFB ... i also have Seattle mountain ... saw it in scion form and was stunned .. blew $30 on it.. it grows no better than any other PM in z5 .... and i await some appreciable size to determine if it is worth my time .... haas.. find some mini doug firs .... whats that one i had pix of.. brooks???? ken

From the choice of plants it looks like you are going for a wildflower hillside look. There will not be a structure to the design since you are not including any bushes between the groups of flowers. If that is the look you want just plant the tall plants to the back and short plants in front.